The NRL’s head of football has accused critics of a controversial bunker decision of bringing the game into disrepute in an impassioned defence of the league’s match officials.
Criticism erupted following Canberra’s defeat of Gold Coast on Saturday, in which Titans second-rower David Fifita was awarded a try after chasing Tanah Boyd’s kick to the in-goal just before half-time.
On closer inspection, the bunker rescinded the four-pointer on the grounds Fifita had interfered with Raiders playmaker Jamal Fogarty, who had also been pursuing the ball.
The decision proved unpopular with broadcast commentators at the time, especially after the Titans lost by four points – fewer than a converted try.
Criticism of the bunker’s call centred around the opinion Fogarty had stopped before reaching the ball to block Fifita’s path.
Under NRL rules, players must not ‘deliberately obstruct an opponent who is not in possession’ as this constitutes an escort and is illegal.
At his weekly media briefing on Monday afternoon, NRL head of football Graham Annesley disputed Fogarty had escorted Fifita from the ball, and delivered a scathing appraisal of the bunker’s critics.
“All the confected outrage about this is just so over the top,” he said.
“I’ve read and heard things like ‘diabolical’, ‘the Titans were dudded’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘the worst call of the year’, that Jamal Fogarty deliberately stopped in front of Fifita, that Fifita just brushes past him.
“To be frank, it brings our game into disrepute, the people that do this.
“To say that he’s not contesting, or that he’s stopped, I just don’t know what people were watching.
“(Fogarty) is still trying to get the ball, kick it dead before Fifita gets his hands on the ball.”
Alternative footage of the incident showed Fifita had grabbed Fogarty’s jersey as the pair jostled for the ball, which is illegal under NRL rules.
Annesley believed it had been Fogarty who was impeded, not Fifita.
“(Fifita) has actually got a handful of jersey and he’s dragging him down,” Annesley said.
“Even if there’s a case to say that Fogarty is escorting or deliberately trying to block Fifita, that’s not for David Fifita to decide, that’s for the referee to decide.
“You can’t just grab players and throw them out of the way without the ball.”
Annesley intimated that public commentary around the bunker could have an adverse effect on attracting referees to the game.
“Why would anyone want to work in the bunker? Why would anyone want to be a referee, when they’re subject to this sort of attack over something that is perfectly defendable?” he said.
“People can still make up their mind about which of these players is most at fault.
“But to suggest that this was such an outrageous, unbelievable, diabolical decision is just ridiculous.”
